Vancouver brothers Lonny and Miguel Eagleton open up about “Twister,” instrumental storytelling, and debut album
Vancouver-based Eagleton Guitar Duo, made up of brothers Lonny and Miguel Eagleton, are turning a lifelong musical connection into evocative instrumental soundscapes built around family, friendship, love, and resilience.
Having grown up learning guitar together and digging into their parents’ record collection, the brothers eventually reconnected musically as adults to form Eagleton Guitar Duo. Their latest single, “Twister,” marks the third taste of their upcoming debut album, scheduled for release in 2027.
Recorded in Vancouver at Lonny’s home studio, “Twister” explores the turbulent emotions associated with trauma and the process of overcoming emotional obstacles. The track was mixed by six-time WCMA nominee Andy Schichter and mastered by Ryan Smith, whose credits include AC/DC, Taylor Swift, and Hermanos Gutiérrez.
The accompanying music video finds the brothers navigating a hotel with their guitars while on tour, with the playful visual concept loosely inspired by Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel.
We caught up with Eagleton Guitar Duo to learn more about “Twister,” the brothers’ musical connection, their approach to instrumental storytelling, and what listeners can expect from their debut album.
First off, care to introduce yourselves to our readers?
Miguel: Absolutely, we are two brothers from Vancouver who play instrumental guitar music. Our sound is made up of laid-back riffs and catchy melodies, with textured layers to tie it all together.
Lonny: We’re true guitar nerds and tone junkies. Our influences span all decades and genres, and we love messing around with gear in our studio. We have a lot of fun making music together and think that feeling really shines through in our music.
“Twister” was inspired by the turbulent feelings surrounding trauma and overcoming emotional obstacles. How did those emotions influence the way the song developed musically?
Lonny: The song was written during a difficult period in my life when I was facing some rather serious adversity. I actually came up with the initial melody late one night while sitting in a hotel room at 3am. Unable to sleep, I picked up my guitar and it came pouring out of me, sort of therapeutically. I later brought the idea to Miguel, and together we turned it into an Eagleton Guitar Duo song.
Miguel: I think this is really portrayed when listening to the song. The verse is very mysterious, whereas the chorus is more laid back and relaxing, ending in a chaotic, high energy solo section. The contrast in all these parts of the song captures the emotional roller coaster that inspired the piece.
“Twister” was recorded at Lonny’s home studio in Vancouver. How does working in such a familiar, personal space affect the creative process compared to recording in a traditional studio?
Miguel: Typically the songwriting occurs outside of the studio, wherever inspiration strikes. However we do have to be creative while in the recording studio when it comes to selecting tones, refining chord voicings, dialling in effects, etc.
Lonny: We like to be really hands-on while tracking in Pro Tools; experimenting with session tempos, different pickup positions, as well as trying out different guitars and amps for each part. Being able to work in my home studio helps with this by giving us full control as well as by providing a relaxed and home-like environment. My dog hangs out with us, the fridge is stocked, it’s comfortable.
As brothers and guitarists, how do you divide your roles within a song? Do you naturally hear where each guitar should fit, or is there a lot of experimentation involved in building those layers and textures?
Lonny: It normally falls right into place. Coming into a writing session, one of us will usually present either a melody idea or a chord progression, onto which the other will fill in the missing piece. As such, the arrangements of our music are made up from one lead track and one rhythm track. One of us takes the rhythm, and the other takes the lead.
Miguel: When it comes time to start tracking in the studio, we start with this same twin-guitar approach. Once we nail that down in Pro Tools, we’ll then experiment with strategic overdubs and textures to build the soundscape. The core of the songs however is always the two guitar arrangement. Any basic overdubs are simply to help create width and lush around the foundational rhythm and lead.
The video for “Twister” takes a playful turn, following you through a hotel while on tour. With inspiration from The Grand Budapest Hotel. How did that concept come together?
Lonny: As we mentioned, the groundwork for “Twister” was written in a hotel room. Earlier this year we happened to be going through a Wes Anderson phase together, exploring his filmography. Naturally it made sense to do our own take on “The Grand Budapest Hotel” for “Twister”. Not only is the music video set in a hotel, but we made a point to employ many of the filming techniques he is known for such as wide angle symmetry and moving cameras.
Miguel: A fun easter egg is that we’re both wearing Vostok watches in the music video. The same exact ones that Willem Dafoe and Bill Murray wear in a different Wes Anderson movie, The Life Aquatic.
“Twister” is the third single from your debut album, which is expected in 2027. What is this song beginning to reveal about the album as a whole, and what can listeners expect as you continue introducing this next chapter of Eagleton Guitar Duo?
Miguel: I think it reveals that they really can’t know what to expect. Our first single “Sticker Tattoos” was super mellow and laid back, whereas Twister is more up tempo and fluctuating, with some flamenco influence. This just goes to show how diverse the album is shaping up to be, all the while staying true to our instrumental guitar sound.
Lonny: At the end of the day we are just two brothers playing guitar, making music. We love crafting these songs and we hope to continue growing our audience with each release.